Dear students,
On 7 April 2023 ̶ World Health Day ̶ the World Health Organization will observe its 75th birthday.
In 1948, countries of the world came together and founded WHO to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable – so everyone, everywhere could attain the highest level of health and well-being.
To advance the health and security of all people, WHO works with governments, communities, international organizations, foundations, advocates, researchers and health workers, and WHO’s 75th anniversary year is an opportunity to look back at the public health successes that have improved people’s quality of life over the last seven decades. It is also an opportunity to motivate action to tackle the health challenges of today ̶ and tomorrow.
We want you to be part of World Health Day and so using your imagination and creative skills, enter our art competition and submit a drawing or painting related to health. We encourage you to read about some health-related achievements and initiatives, and discuss your ideas with your parents, teachers and friends.
- The development of new medicines and vaccines has helped to protect us, our families and communities from diseases like COVID-19, cholera, leprosy, tuberculosis, malaria, hepatitis and many childhood diseases.
- In the early 20th century, polio, which is incurable, paralysed hundreds of thousands of children every year but with the introduction of a vaccine polio has been brought under control and most parts of the world are now polio-free. The world is close to eradicating polio.
- There are some diseases that younger people have never heard of because they have been eradicated, such as smallpox. Smallpox was one of the most devastating diseases known to humanity and it caused millions of deaths before it was eradicated in 1980. Its eradication is among the most notable and profound public health successes in history.
- COVID-19 and other health emergencies, overlapping humanitarian and climate crises, economic constraints, and conflict, have made every country's journey to #HealthForAll more urgent.
- “Health for All by All” means that all people have good health for a fulfilling life in a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world.
- Universal health coverage means that people can access a full range of good quality health services when and where they need them without facing financial hardship because of the cost of paying for their health care.
- In 2015, all the countries in the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which sets out 17 Goals. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to transform our world. They are a call to action to end poverty and inequality, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy health, justice and prosperity, so that no one is left behind.
Everyone has a role to play
We as individuals and communities can all contribute and play a role in making health achievements possible. Each and every achievement reached over the past seven decades has resulted out of human perseverance, innovation, commitment, unity and solidarity.
Conditions of entry
- You must be between the ages of 8 and 18 to enter the competition.
- Your entry must be in the form of a drawing or painting created by yourself. Scan your artwork digitally (high-quality scanning) and send it to your teacher who will send it by email to the WHO office in your country* or to the Director of the Department of International Relations, Ministry of Health.
- The last date for receiving entries is the end of March 2023.
- Entries will be judged in the following age groups: 8–9, 10–11, 12–13, 14–15 and 16–18.
- You must fill out an accompanying form to provide us with the following information about yourself:
Your full name
Age
Country of residence
Full home address
Name and address of your school (with telephone contact number)
Name of parent or legal guardian (with telephone contact number and email address)
Your email address if you have one.
- WHO reserves the right to use submitted artworks in its information products.
Scan your form and send it to your teacher to be sent by email with the scan of your artwork. Please write your information as clearly as you can, and if possible, fill out the form on your computer. Entries that are submitted without the required information unfortunately cannot be considered.
Winning entries will be selected by a panel of judges at the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean in Cairo, Egypt.
The top five winners will receive a certificate of merit along with symbolic cash prizes of US$ 200, US$ 175, US$ 150, US$ 125 or US$ 100. An exhibition of winning entries will be held at the WHO Regional Office in Cairo.
Note for schools and art teachers
While schools should be selective in the entries they submit, all students should be encouraged to take part in the competition in order to raise their awareness of health-related achievements over the years and stimulate their interest in contributing to future achievements to enhance the health and well-being of all.
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* Country office email addresses can be found on the homepages of the country office websites accessible from /countries.html.
